Lysblink Seaways Salvage Continues in Scotland

Updated: November 18, 2020 (Originally published February 27, 2015)

The DFDS cargo ship MV Lysblink Seaways remains at anchor not far from where it ran aground in northern Scotland last week as salvage work continues.

According an update Friday from the UK Maritime and Coast Guard Agency, preparations to tow the ship to a repair facility continue at anchor at Scallastle Bay in the Sound of Mull.

Svitzer Salvage has had a team onboard 24 hours a day as part of the preparations, while the owners of the vessel are in discussion with several ship repairers. A final passage plan will not be agreed until the final decision on the destination has been determined, the MCA said.

The MV Lysblink Seaways ran aground near Kilchoan, Scotland at the western entrance to the Sound of Mull on February 18th, causing an undetermined amount of oil to leak from the vessel. The vessel self-refloated a day later and the vessel was moved to a nearby anchorage for inspection and salvage operations. The MCA reported previously that all fuel needed to be removed from the ship before it could be towed away from the area. The salvage has been hampered by weather, which on Sunday (Feb 22) caused the ship to drag anchor.

No additional oil has been reported to have leaked from the ship, according to the MCA’s updates. So far there have been no indications of exactly how much fuel has leaked from the vessel since the initial grounding.

The MV Lysblink Seaways was carrying 50 tons of paper products from Belfast to Skogn in Norway when the grounding occurred. No injuries have been reported.

The Temporary Exclusion Zone in place around the vessel has been reduced to 100 meters.

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